Life as a member of SumUp FC
How joining our football team helped 2 SumUppers adjust to life in Berlin.
SumUp FC is our Berlin-based football team, currently captained by Michael Sinnen from our Sales & Partnerships department. They play weekly as part of the Urban Sports League, competing against a host of other local tech companies. Numerous players have told us that joining the team helped them find their feet at SumUp, so we caught up with a couple to find out about their experiences on and off the pitch.
Matteo Musolesi joined SumUp’s Online Marketing team in June 2019, and SumUp FC soon after.
“I moved to Berlin for SumUp. I’d already lived abroad while studying for my Master’s; first in France and then Sweden. But this felt like a much bigger step. For a start I didn’t know anyone in the city. Secondly, this was my first full-time job, so the majority of my colleagues were older and more experienced. And even though it’s pretty easy to get by here with English, the language barrier was higher than I’d experienced before. The only German I knew was ‘Guten Appetit!’
Overall, it felt like I had some big hurdles to overcome before I felt settled here. But joining the football team really helped with this. I got involved very soon after I arrived, and really appreciated the opportunities to bond with people from across the company, and to spend time together outside the office. We treat every match like it’s the Champions League Final, but off the pitch it’s very friendly and sociable. We always have a few drinks after each game, and we do social activities completely unrelated to football. We went to a Christmas market, we had a taco night in the office — it’s pretty varied. The other players quickly became close friends, and I may not have even met some of them had I not joined the team.
I feel really settled at SumUp now. It’s bigger and more established than a startup but it still has a startup mindset. What I like most here is that no one will ever say “no” to you. Even if the other people in the room don’t agree with your idea, they’ll give you a chance to try it out. Within my first 6 months, I was given the go-ahead to lead a project that I proposed. It’s nice to feel so trusted.
It’s super challenging, in that there’s no standard work day. You come in and there’s always something new to do. You have to react very quickly to spikes and dips, and think very fast. But I really enjoy working on marketing initiatives for Italy — I want SumUp to be successful in my home country!”
Tuure Lehtoranta joined both our Customer Support team and SumUp FC in February 2018.
“I also moved to Berlin specifically for SumUp. I played ice hockey and basketball growing up in Finland, and football in my previous company. I’ve been a dedicated Arsenal fan since I was around 12 — I try to visit the Emirates Stadium at least once a year. And I’ve always found sports a great way to socialise, so joining the SumUp team was one of the first things I did when I moved here.
I really appreciate how Michael arranges everything. I know that my personal skill set isn’t the strongest, but we play well together as a team — last year we managed to finish third in the league. Although having said that, this season hasn’t gone so well!
The main thing is that we have fun however well we’re performing, and for me the best aspect is all the stuff we do off the pitch — we get together outside work to play FIFA, watch Hertha BSC, go bowling, do karaoke.
I also really enjoy spending time with a wide range of people from across the company. Within the team, it doesn’t matter what you do or how senior you are — everyone’s treated equally. And that’s reflective of the company as a whole. The first thing that comes to mind when people ask me about working here is how friendly everyone is. I think many people perceive German work culture to be quite formal and hierarchical, but SumUp is the opposite of this.
It took me a while to get used to Berlin. It’s huge compared to anywhere else I’d lived before. But I like how international the city is — I sometimes even hear people speaking Finnish travelling to and from the office. And I really appreciate how varied my work is compared to roles at previous companies.”
SumUp FC is always on the lookout for new players. The only criteria is that you need to work here! Check out our current vacancies and begin your journey to soccer stardom.
